Apparatus and method for retaining baby clothes on a child

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and methods for retaining clothes on a child are provided wherein an elastic ring can be stretched to slide over top of the clothes and leg, and situate on an ankle area of the child. The apparatus and methods can be used when a child is wearing clothing such as a footed pajama, to keep the foot inside the footed area. In addition, the apparatus and methods can be used when a child is wearing pants that are too long, to retain the pant-leg above the foot and prevent the child from tripping. Further, the apparatus and methods can be used when a child is wearing footwear, such as socks or boots, to keep the footwear from falling off the child&#39;s foot. The apparatus can be independent and not fixed to the clothing, allowing the apparatus to be used on various garments, interchanged, and washed separately.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is related to the field of apparatuses and methods of retaining clothes on a child, in particular, apparatuses and methods of retaining baby clothes on a child's ankle using an elastic ring.

BACKGROUND

There is difficulty in retaining baby clothes on a child, particularly, on the legs of children and, more particularly, at their ankles. For example, children wearing footed sleeper pajamas, or other footed clothing, can often have their foot displaced or misplaced from the appropriate position and it can become stuck elsewhere within the clothing, particularly inside the body of the garment. This can lead to discomfort for the child, which further can lead to crying, lack of sleep, unsafe sleeping positions, and stress on the child and parents. This misplacement can occur during the child's sleep, crawling, or other activities.

There are other difficulties in retaining clothing at an appropriate position on a child's leg. For example, pant legs can also be too long for a child and lead to the child tripping over long pants, and also wearing and soiling the pant leg. Footwear such as socks and boots often come loose from a child's leg, fall, rub, or be kicked off at inopportune times, and can be lost.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide an apparatus and method for retaining baby clothes on a child.

SUMMARY

Apparatus and methods for retaining clothes on a child are provided wherein an elastic ring can be stretched to slide over top of the clothes and leg, and situate on an ankle area of the child. In some embodiments, the apparatus and methods can be used when a child is wearing clothing, such as a footed pajama, to keep the foot inside the footed area. In some embodiments, the apparatus and methods can be used when a child is wearing pants that are too long, to retain the pant-leg above the foot and prevent the child from tripping. Further, the apparatus and methods can be used when a child is wearing footwear, such as socks or boots, to keep the footwear from falling off the child's foot. The apparatus can be independent and not fixed to the clothing, allowing the apparatus to be used on various garments, interchanged, and washed separately.

Broadly stated, in some embodiments, an apparatus for retaining clothes on a child's leg at the ankle is provided, the apparatus comprising a cloth-covered elastic ring configured to stretch around the child's leg and to return to an unstretched position dimensioned to snuggly fit around the clothes at the ankle of the child's leg to retain the clothes in that position.

Broadly stated, in some embodiments, a method is provided for retaining clothes on a child's leg at the ankle, the method comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus comprising a cloth-covered elastic ring configured to stretch around the child's leg and to return to an unstretched position dimensioned to snuggly fit around the clothes at the ankle of the child's leg to retain the clothes in that position, stretching the apparatus and feeding the child's leg and clothes through the ring, aligning the clothes to be positioned at a desired positioning spot in between the apparatus and the child's leg, allowing the apparatus to return to an unstretched position around the clothes and the child's leg at the desired position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view depicting one embodiment of an apparatus for retaining clothes on a child.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-section view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 1 cut open with an elastic core exposed from a cloth covering.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 1 in one use around a footed pajama and child's legs.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 6 in one use around a footed pajama and child's legs.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 6 in one use around a footed pajama and child's one leg, depicting the other leg in the absence of the apparatus.

FIG. 9 is perspective view depicting a child's leg in a pant leg in the absence of the apparatus.

FIG. 10 is perspective view depicting a child's leg in a pant leg in the presence of one embodiment of the apparatus.

FIG. 11 is perspective view depicting a child's leg in a footed pajama in the presence of a first alternate embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is perspective view depicting a child's leg in a pant leg and boot in the presence of a second alternate embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Apparatus and methods for retaining clothes on a child are provided. In some embodiments, the apparatus and method can comprise an elastic ring covered in soft, child safe material wherein the elastic ring is configured to stretch around a child's leg and return to an unstretched position dimensioned to snuggly fit around clothes on the baby's leg at the ankle and to retain the clothes in that position. The apparatus can be independent and not fixed to the clothes, wherein the apparatus can be used on various garments, interchanged, and washed separately.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4, an embodiment of apparatus 10 is shown. Apparatus 10 can comprise elastic ring 12 which, in some embodiments, can be covered by cloth covering 14. Cloth covering 14 can be made of soft, child-safe material such as terry cloth, thin cotton/Lycra™ blends, soft flannel cotton, or other stretch fabric, although it would be understood by one skilled in the art that any material that can function appropriately can be used as cloth covering 14. In some embodiments, cloth covering 14 can further comprise a ribbed texture and/or a child-safe rubber coating which can allow for gripping and retention of the child's clothing.

Some embodiments of apparatus 10 can include one or more branding tags 16 and/or information tags 18 attached to elastic ring 12. These tags can allow for information to be printed thereon, such as branding and care-for instructions. In some embodiments, branding tag 16 can be attached to the outside of elastic ring 12 and information tag 18 can be attached to the inside of elastic ring 12, however it would be understood that the location of branding tag 16 and information tag 18 could be the reverse or that both tags can be on the outside or inside of elastic ring 12.

Apparatus 10 can also include seam 20, which can allow for the attaching of cloth covering 14 to elastic core 32 (see also FIG. 5). Elastic core 32 can be made of elastic, flexible, child-safe, material such as Spandex™, Lycra™, or other elastic materials, although it would be understood by one skilled in the art that any material that can function appropriately as elastic core 32 could be used. Cloth covering 14 can be attached to elastic core 32 at seam 20 in a manner which allows for gathering of cloth covering 14 when elastic ring 12 is in an unstretched position. Excess cloth covering 14 can allow for elastic ring 12 to stretch without damaging cloth covering 14.

Apparatus 10 can also comprise height dimension 22 and length dimension 24 which can be configured to fit around a baby's ankle. In some embodiments, height dimension 22 can be approximately one and a half inches when, for example, an elastic core 32 with a height of one and a half inches is used. In some embodiments, length dimension 24 can be approximately three to four and a half inches when in an unstretched position and large enough in a stretched position to accept a child's leg 26 and surrounding clothing. In some embodiments, apparatus 10 can be sized to various sizes of children. For example height dimension 22 and length dimension 24 respectively can be approximately one inches and three inches, one and a half inches and three and a half inches, one and a half inches and four inches, one and a half inches and four and a half inches, for small, medium, large, or very large children respectively.

In some embodiments, apparatus 10 can be assembled by providing cloth covering 14 as a seamless tube, sliding a flat linear length of elastic core 32 through the seamless tube, stretching elastic core 32 lengthwise, and sewing the seamless tube lengthwise to the stretched elastic core 32 while leaving the ends of seamless tube open and the ends of elastic core 32 accessible. When elastic core 32 is allowed to return to an unstretched position, cloth covering 14 can appear gathered, scrunched, or ruffled. At this point, the exposed ends of the elastic core 32 can be sewn together to form elastic ring 12. One end of cloth covering 14 seamless tube can then be folded over the other end and be sewn over top giving a seamless effect to elastic ring 12. With the seam on elastic core 32 covered, the formation of a pressure point on child's leg 26 can be avoided when apparatus 10 is in use. In some embodiments, elastic ring 12 can comprise snap fasteners, or other types of fasteners, in place of sewing the ends of elastic core together to form elastic ring 12. Multiple fasteners can be disposed along the length of elastic ring 12 such that length dimension 24 can be adjusted to suit the specific use of apparatus 10.

In some embodiments, seam 20 can be located approximately in the middle of height dimension 22, however it would be understood that the location of seam 20 could be altered without departing from the function of apparatus 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, apparatus 10 can be seen in an operation. Child's leg 26 is shown in this example in footed pajama 28. Elastic ring 12 is shown placed on child's leg 26 around footed pajama 28 at the ankle above child's foot 30. Elastic ring 12 can be stretched to increase length dimension 24 to install apparatus 10 over leg 26 and clothing, and be allowed to return to an unstretched configuration to retain the clothing at the appropriate position on leg 26. Referring now to FIG. 8, a pair of child legs 26 is shown with and without elastic ring 12. Elastic ring 12 can be used to retain child's foot 30 in the appropriate position within footed pajama 28. The right leg 26 is shown without elastic ring 12 and child's foot 30 can be seen to have lost proper position within foot pajama 28.

In some embodiments, elastic ring 12 can be used to retain a pant leg 34 around child's leg 26 in an appropriate position. Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, a pant leg without elastic ring 12 is too long for child's leg 26 and can lead to covering of child's foot 30 which can lead to tripping and wearing or soiling of the garment. FIG. 10 shows elastic ring 12 in a use around pant leg 34 and child's leg 26 to retain pant leg 34 in an appropriate position above child's foot 30.

In some embodiments, apparatus 10 can also include feature 36 attached around or in a particular position on cloth covering 14. Feature 36 can be any variety of items, for example a flower as shown in FIG. 10 or an animal face as shown in FIG. 11 or a fur texture as shown in FIG. 12, or other animals, flowers, sports designs, writing or initials, or cartoon or other children's characters. In some embodiments, feature 36 can further comprise a sound feature (not shown) which can create sound when activated to entertain the child. In some embodiments, feature 36 can be provided to fixate and entertain a child so as the prevent the removal of apparatus 10 from child's leg 26.

Referring now to FIG. 12, a further use of elastic ring 12 can be to retain footwear 38 at an appropriate position on child's leg 26 above child's foot 30. Footwear 38 can be a sock, shoe, boot, or other footwear. Apparatus 12 can allow for footwear 38 to remain on child's foot 30 and can prevent footwear 38 from falling off and being lost.

In operation, apparatus 10 can be used to retain clothes on a child's leg 26 at the ankle, by stretching elastic ring 12 and feeding the clothed child's leg 26 through the ring, aligning the clothing to be positioned at a desired positioning spot in between elastic ring 12 and child's leg 26; and allowing the apparatus to return to an unstretched position around the clothes and the child's leg at the desired position.

Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The terms and expressions used in the preceding specification have been used herein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow. 

1: An apparatus for retaining clothes on a child's leg at the ankle comprising a cloth-covered elastic ring configured to stretch around the child's leg and to return to an unstretched position dimensioned to snuggly fit around the clothes at the ankle of the child's leg to retain the clothes in that position. 2: The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elastic ring is dimensioned approximately 1 to 1.5 inches in height. 3: The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elastic ring is dimensioned approximately 3 to 4.5 inches across in the unstretched position. 4: The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cloth is selected from the group consisting of terry cloth, flannel cotton, and cotton blends. 5: The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cloth-covered elastic ring comprises surface area to attach features thereon. 6: A use of the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for retaining clothes on a child's leg at the ankle. 7: A method of retaining clothes on a child's leg at the ankle, said method comprising: providing an apparatus comprising a cloth-covered elastic ring configured to stretch around the child's leg and to return to an unstretched position dimensioned to snuggly fit around the clothes at the ankle of the child's leg to retain the clothes in that position; stretching the apparatus and feeding the child's leg and clothes through the ring; aligning the clothes to be positioned at a desired positioning spot in between the apparatus and the child's leg; and allowing the apparatus to return to an unstretched position around the clothes and the child's leg at the desired position. 8: The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the elastic ring is dimensioned approximately 1 to 1.5 inches in height. 9: The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the elastic ring is dimensioned approximately 3 to 4.5 inches across in the unstretched position. 10: The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the cloth is selected from the group consisting of terry cloth, flannel cotton, and cotton blends. 11: The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the cloth-covered elastic ring comprises surface area to attach features thereon. 12: The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the clothes are footed pajamas. 13: The method as claimed in claim 7 where the clothes are pant legs. 14: The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the clothes are footwear. 